The Dovahkiin Descendant: Reborn
by SomethingNinja
Summary: (After two years of idle twiddling, I believed it was the time to rewrite Dovahkiin Descendant. So here it is) Skyrim has been plunged into darkness since the fall of the last Dovahkiin. In the years since, Alduin and his Dovah brethren have judged our existence with disgust, slaughtering our people without remorse. But, one boy, with his companions, will rise up against Alduin.
1. To Riverwood

The brilliant orange rays of light illuminated Kasper's face as he warmed his hands on the flames that produced the light.

Night had crept over the landscape, covering all of Skyrim in an unnerving shroud of darkness.

The simple fact that he was not alone comforted him. Skyrim was a dangerous place to say the least, and having friends definitely improved ones hope for survival. He leaned forward, balancing on the balls of his feet as he focused on the flames.

Him, nor his companions, Chase, and Avery, were hardly into their manhood, but they stood together no matter what, and adult or not, there's strength in numbers.

Chase furrowed his golden brows while placing a fist beneath his chin.

"Something bothering you?" Kasper raised a brow of brown.

"It's just that… I would've liked to have made it to Riverwood… that's all." Chase let out a sigh of discomfort as he propped himself on his elbows.

"Well it's not like we made no progress at all!" Avery spoke up, sitting down in front of the fire's warm embrace, "As long as we follow the river, we should make it there by early morn!"

Kasper nodded and crossed his arms. "Exactly, so lets all just get some sleep… Alright?"

Chase sighed once more, shaking his head lightly. "Fine, fine." he shrugged and rested within the simple linen-sack, of which they had two other duplicates.

Kasper and Avery followed as such, ducking under their own covers and nodding off into their own dreams. Strange worlds filled with color and sound, some of which comforting, others somehow concerning. As the night faded into mere memory and the sun began to peer over the mountainous peaks, the trio rose from the slumber, stretching and yawning at the mornings embrace.

The three of them packed up what little gear they had and continued down the path in silence. Their ill-prepared trek had left them in moods of poor taste. Every conversation seemed to turn sour quite quickly due to their lack of food, sleep, and drink. Kasper kept up a steady but brisk pace in an attempt to match that of Chase, who was currently leading the way. Within a few hours the small village of Riverwood came into view, and grins of relief swept over the trio.

"By the nine… Finally!" Avery clasped his hands together happily, a firm snap echoing off the landscape. "It's strange... being home again."

Kasper couldn't help but smiling wide. The three of them had all walked for so long with low supplies, he couldn't wait to lay on a warm bed, or sit on an actual chair. He quickened his pace; the gear he carried rattled as he moved.

The three of them stepped to the main gate. Kasper had heard Riverwood was once a quaint village, but since the resistance it had become more of a fort. A wall of stone protected its borders. Two intimidating doors of iron and oak were on either end of it.

Kasper peered up as he heard the clink of metal armor. A guard's helmet peeked over the railing of the tower.

"Oi! Who goes there?" The guard shouted in a tone more than necessary.

"We're but simple travelers here to visit an old friend." Kasper raised a flat palm over his brow, shielding his tired eyes from the sun.

The guard paused a moment, and if it wasn't for his helmet, Kasper was sure he would be furrowing his brows. "Be you rebels, or dragons?!" he man furiously questioned.

Avery sighed in a disgruntled tone. "Do we look like damnable dragons? Open the bloody gate!"

"Please sir, we've all traveled far, and we're tired and hungry. We mean no harm to you, or the people within Riverwood." Chase stepped forward, emphasizing his words with hand gestures.

The guard paused once more before answering. "The… The whole of Riverwood grants you entrance. Make sure you do not go back on your word, unless you'd prefer your head mounted on a pike!" he spoke aggressively as he signaled for two other men, who trotted up to a metallic mechanism which when turned opened the massive gate to the interior or Riverwood. The three of them stepped inside. Riverwood was lined with a variety of different places. Be it butchers, merchants, or blacksmiths. A large barracks was positioned at the far right of Riverwood. None of the buildings present were the originals. Times had changed, and as a result so did the towns, villages, cities and people.

Kasper, Chase and Avery continued down the stone path, their boots clicking off the rough stones as they made their way to a small home. Kasper stepped up to the quaint homes door, tapping it with the back of his fist three times. After a moment of silence the door swung open with a creek.

"What is it now? What more could your guards possibly want from-" A tall boy, around the age of the trio stepped into the light, and as he gazed upon the three of them his eyes widened. "I… W-What are you all doing here?"

Kasper raised a hand up to stop him. "If you will allow it, I'd prefer to explain inside. We've been on the road for days now, and we're all very tired."

"And hungry." Added Chase with a finger pointed skyward.

The boy nodded while running a hand over his brown hair of medium length. "Y-Yes, come in." he said while opening the door wide and stepping aside for them. They walked in without any further hesitation, and near immediately the warmth of the home embraced them. The let out sighs of relief and unloaded their gear upon the wooden floor. "Now what is this all about? Why have you come?" the boy queried once more.

"Adam, if you'd be so kind to your guests, would you put some food on the table? We're all quite famished, and I'd rather not speak on an empty stomach." Kasper took off his long black coat and hung it by the door. He removed his leather chest guard and placed it with a thud on a nearby desk. He then proceeded to the dining table and slid into the seat with a sigh. Chase and Avery both did the same, removing their armor and sitting down at nearby table. After a moment of silence Adam joined them, holding with him a few bowls of stew and bread. He placed them on the table in front of the four chairs. With a _thunk_ Adam pulled the cork off a jug of mead, and poured a few glasses, sitting down in a vacant chair. A few moments of silence pursued, and Adam tapped the table impatiently as the other three ate.

"Now… What's been going on? Kasper, why aren't you in Rorikstead?"

Kasper stopped, his hand shaking as he stared down the bowl of stew, not uttering a sound. A silence ensued as Kasper stared endlessly, not speaking. Finally, Chase cleared his throat and sat upright. "Adam… Rorikstead has been… It's been destroyed…" he frowned.

Adam gasped as his eyes widened. He turned his gaze downward and peered into the mug of mead. "That… That truly is quite a shame… I am sorry."

"Aye… 'Tis a shame." Avery said and shook his head slowly.

Chase turned to look at Kasper, his brow raised. "Hey, you alright?" he asked in a hushed tone as he placed a hand on Kasper's shoulder.

Kasper nodded. "I'll be fine." he said sullenly and nodded once more.

With that the conversation ended. The four of them sat silently for a long while, taking mouthfulls of stew and bread, washing it down with swigs of mead. A few hours went on without much talk, and as time went by the outside world crept into darkness. Adam pointed to a staircase that led upstairs, four doors lined the upstairs hall and Kasper, Chase, Avery and Adam all departed for their separate rooms.

Kasper closed the door behind him with a heavy sigh, walking forward a few steps into the room, slowly scanning the interior. He slumped down onto the end of the cot, pressing his head down into his palms, rubbing his dark brown hair slowly. His thoughts swirled uneasily as he laid down on the rough surface of the bed. Images flashed in his mind as his eyelids closed, and he drifted into a vivid nightmare.


	2. Nightmare in the dark

_As Kasper's dream came to form he found himself in a area of pure white. A large ring of stone walls formed around the borders of this dream world. A barracks and tower formed in the center, rows of homes appeared from the nothingness, and soon the sky of blue formed with fluffy clouds that blotted the sun. Kasper walked slowly through this ghostly memory. It was Rorikstead, exactly how he remembered it, and he felt comforted and safe. He wanted it to be real, even though he knew it couldn't possibly. He was a personal witness to the flames that had twisted around everyone building, encasing them in whirlwinds of fire, and he knew that this could only be a dream. _

_He gasped as his own home came into sight, he could see the flickering flames of a warm fire lit within it's window. Without a moments hesitation he rushed to the door, with a clunk he pulled the door open wide._

_His eyes widened and to his dismay the interior was dark and cold, he stepped inside and a rumbling filled the room, the likes of which made his spine quiver with fear. The fire blew out with a whistle of wind, and a coldness flowed endlessly over his body, freezing any skin it touched. Hello? He called out, his voice echoed as if he were in a tunnel, or a cavern. The rumbling continued to intensify as he stood motionless in the cold home. A scream made him jump and he turned his head to the door. The voice that shouted made him gape, it was familiar, it was… it was his mothers._

_Rushing out the door he found the orange glaze of fire scattered across the landscape. The shadows became rigid as the roaring flames danced in the wind. He peered around frantically, still hearing the intense screaming of even more people. His friends, his family, all of them screaming. He darted forward and in the intensity he found himself screaming along with them. The deep rumbling returned to him, and he found himself shudder as hot air brushed against the back of his neck. With much reluctance he turned around, and in front of him, with eyes of furious red, the dark shadow of a dragon stared upon him, and before he could so much as react, the black spiked creature arched it's neck and spewed a thick stream of orange and red fire that wreathed around Kasper, engulfing him in a blaze of death. _

Kasper darted upwards with a quick shout, breathing heavily as he sat up on the cot. He clenched his knees tightly, his knuckles turned white from how tightly he gripped them as he shook. His vision seemed to pulse as all the muscles in his arms clenched at once.

Pulling both legs over the side of the cot to plant them on the wooden floor below, Kasper pressed his palms against his face and already could feel the thick warm tears flowing over his cheeks and down his face. Sobbing silently he reflected on the dream, or rather the horrific nightmare. _They're all gone… _he clenched his eyelids tightly together. _They're all gone… and I couldn't save them… _the muscles in his jaw flexed as he clamped his jaws shut tightly. Clearing his throat, he looked to the window at the far end of the room. The moon was full, and it's rays of pale light masked all below it in an ominous glow.

With a shudder, he forced himself back into his cot, pulling the linen cover up to his shoulders, holding it tightly with both hands. Reluctantly his lids closed and he drifted into a sleep.


	3. The World is Changing

Kasper was relieved that not a single nightmare returned to him that night.

Golden rays of morning light crept into the room, and for the first time Kasper could see the interior of his room in full detail. The walls, ceiling and floor were made of wood, though from what he could tell they were cut from different kinds of trees, what those trees were, he couldn't say. The walls were decorated lightly with various portraits and such, and a rug of drab green lay strewn across the floorboards. It wasn't luxurious, at least not to those of higher standards, but to Kasper it was quite a fine place to rest indeed.

Rolling his legs over the side of the cot, Kasper sat of straight. He stretched his arms and rolled his shoulders, taking in a deep breath of the brisk air. The room wasn't as cold as the night previous, and he found little difficulty walking around it even without his shirt on.

He rubbed his eyes as he stood before the dressing cabinet. Opening the wooden drawers he took a tunic of forest green from the interior, sliding it over his head and adjusting it so it sat comfortably on his shoulders. Next he pulled on a jerkin of dark brown leather, tying up the front at it's four separate straps, of which much resembled the buckles of belts only smaller. He pulled a pair of knee-high leather boots up over his calves, wrestling to get them into place. All that remained was his belt, which he quickly fastened around his waist, a sheath and sword dangled off the belt and swayed from side to side whenever he moved. He rolled up his tunic sleeves and stood there a moment.

Satisfied with his garb, he made his way into the main room of Adam's house where he found their host sitting alone at the dining table holding a tankard of iron in his hand. Kasper found that, besides Adam, he was the only one awake.

Adam took a swig from his tankard before lowering it from his lips. "Get a good rest? I heard a shout last night…" he said in a questioning tone while tracing his fingers along the rim of the tankard.

Kasper took a seat at the table on the chair nearest to where Adam was sitting. Briefly he glanced at something on the table, it was a note. "I… I had a bad dream, nothing more." he replied sullenly and cleared his throat.

"Right…" Adam squinted, taking another swig from his tankard. He stared a moment, his gaze blank and empty as his eyes fixated on the note. It took him several moments before he continued to speak. "The note…" he gestured with his chin, "It arrived a few days prior to your arrival, it's addressed to the survivor of Rorikstead."

A brief moment of surprise overtook Kasper as he reluctantly reached towards the note, picking up the thin parchment. A scritchy noise emitted from the note as his fingers pressed against it, causing crease lines to course through the paper.

_If you are reading this, then Rorikstead is gone, and so are many of it's people._

_We knew this day would come, we could only ever hope to delay it, but alas, 'Twas folly to even try._

_Do not lose hope. Whomever it may be who reads these words, know that all is not lost, and the dark times will soon come to an end. _

_Meet me at the Inn of Riverwood. I will be there daily upon sending this letter._

_May the Nine watch over you._

_~ A friend._

Kasper furrowed his brows. A moment of confusion crept through his bones, and he felt somewhat frightened as he finished reading. He looked up to Adam for answers, but was only met with a shrug.

"Don't look to me. I haven't opened that note, 'Twas not meant for my eyes." Adam replied before taking another swig of ale.

Kasper stood up from the table slowly, still holding the note in his left hand, staring at the words upon it. He looked to Adam. "I'll return in a while…" he said simply and grabbed his long flowing coat of brown leather.

With a rather brisk pace he marched through Riverwood; his footsteps clicking off of the stone pathways beneath him, the sound he found was peculiarly entertaining.

After a long walk which diverged down multiple narrow, and confusing, paths, he finally stood before the large building of iron and oak. The Inn was a tall, sturdy and proud building that seemed to make the others around it miniscule in comparison to it's well kept surface. A warm glow emitted from the windows even in the early hours of the morning, and the thick scent of honeyed mead mixed with sizzling meat filled the air. Without a moment of longer hesitation, Kasper walked forward, pushing one of the wooden doors inward and stepping into the warm Inn.

The interior was much as he assumed, warm and thick with the scent of ale. It was a strangely calming atmosphere. His gaze wandered around the large open room as he walked towards the counter. Behind it was a burly man, his orange tinted beard swayed as he cleaned a mug with a linen scrap. He peered up at Kasper from underneath his dominant bushy brow and smiled wide.

"A new face! 'Tis a strange sight in such times and these!" his loud voice boomed forward in a tone so jolly, Kasper couldn't help but smirk.

Leaning his elbows against the counter, he stared at the man. From a distance, he wasn't quite so imposing, but up close the man stood at least three feet higher than himself, and he felt rather small in comparison. "Is that so? Not many new faces in these parts?" Kasper raised a brow.

The man lowered the mug in hand with a sigh. He wiped off his hands and proceeded to scratch at his beard. "Nay, I'm afraid not. Times are dark indeed, and folks tend not to travel as they once did…" he paused his now sullen tone before extending a hand forward over the counter. "The name's George, at ye' service sir."

"Kasper is mine." he replied, clasping George's hand with his own and accepting the friendly shake.

"Now! What might I help you with?" George said, a questioning look in his large green eyes.

"I'm… I'm looking for someone." Kasper replied hesitantly.

George's heavy brows furrowed as he stared a moment. "And who might you be looking for?"

"That's the thing, George… I'm not entirely sure…"

George nodded slowly, as if he knew what that situation felt like. He paused, scratching his beard a moment before speaking up. "I'm assuming you know no details of this person?"

"I'm afraid not… all I know is that he, or she left me this note and told me to meet here." Kasper replied and pulled forth the note which he still had kept held in one hand.

George took the note a moment and read through it, a sullen look passed over his face. Though his mouth was hardly visible through the thick beard, Kasper could tell he frowned for his moustache curled at the edges. "'Tis grim news to hear of indeed… Rorikstead is gone… I had friends there." he said quietly with a shake of his head. "But… I may be able to help you…" he said leaning forward, "In the far corner there's been a fellow who has come in here everyday for… at least a few days now. Older chap he is. I'd say, you might as well try your luck with him, eh?"

Kasper nodded. "Thank you for your help, George." he said and inclined his head.

"Anytime."

Kasper pushed back from the counter and turned around to face the large open room once more, scanning it for the man he was looking for. In the shadowed left corner lay a single table with two chairs, a man sat leaning forward on his bone-like limbs, a large cloak and hood pulled up, blotting all light from his face, as if the whole of his head were merely a void.

Reluctantly Kasper made his way to the table, and as he reached the chair, the man turned his head to face him. A large, jagged scar ran through his face, striking a line diagonally across, stretching from the top of his brow to the bottom of his jaw. The line crossed over his left eye, and Kasper noticed that it had caused one of the man's eyes to go a blind milky white. The other eye, of which was still intact and was a bright hue of green, gazed upon him questioningly.

"Excuse me, sir." Kasper spoke in a hushed tone. "Were you the one who sent this?" he asked, extending the note to the man.

The man's eyes widened with surprise as he gazed down upon it. He nodded, his straight greying beard bobbing up and down as he did. "I am called Joffrey. Please, sit." he spoke in a raspy voice while gesturing to the open chair. Kasper did not hesitate to do so and instead took his seat.

"Why did you summon me to this place?" Kasper asked curiously.

"Rorikstead is gone boy… These are difficult times, and even more difficult ahead."

"What do you mean?"

"Rorikstead was just the beginning… Your fate is that of destiny, your very blood is sacred, and The World-Eater knows this as truth!"

"I-I don't understand! What do you mean?"

Joffrey's elongated brows furrowed a moment. "It is not for me to say, I am merely to guide you in the right direction. I am a simple pawn, in a much bigger game. You and those you would call allies are destined for greatness." He paused a moment.

"What greatness? What are you guiding me to?"

Joffrey sighed. "The world is changing, child. The seas are roaring thunderously, snow attacks the mountains with unrelenting flurries, and the very ground trembles with excitement. You are part of that change. The World-Eater has brought despair to this land, and the people grow dark inside. You will be the pinnacle for their hope, you will change this lands very core, and only you will stop the darkness. Do you understand?"

"No… I don't." Kasper shook his head. "What can I possibly do? The dragons wreak havoc upon the lands, slaughtering and pillaging as they please! What can I hope to accomplish against their wrath? You've seen what they can do! They took my home from me, and burned it to ash!" he said, and unintentionally let his anger get the best of him, slamming his fist down against the wooden table with a loud thud.

Joffrey stared, rather unbothered by the aggressive act. "I know… Alduin's followers are dark, savage creatures. Obsessed with power they are, but not all of the Dov are the same." Joffrey looked down a moment. "Boy… What I will ask of you may seem… difficult. But you must travel back to where once you called home. You must travel to Rorikstead… only there will you find the beginning to your path." Reaching onto a satchel strapped to his robe, Joffrey pulled a key of metal unlike any Kasper was a ware of. It was embroidered with thousands of markings, all intertwined. Joffrey placed it on the table and slid it carefully towards Kasper. "This key unlocks the way to your beginning. Only with this will you finally learn what must be done. Have faith in me, trust my words."

Kasper stared at the key a moment, a lump of fear building in his throat as he reluctantly reached out to the metallic key, grasping it carefully in his palm. "... Why should I trust you?" he asked in a quiet tone.

"Because 'Twas your mother whom did so before you."

Kasper darted his gaze upward to Joffrey, surprise and shock strewn across his expression as he stared. "M-My mother?!" Joffrey replied with a simple nod.

Kasper stared at the key in his open palm, excitement, fear and sorrow coursed through his veins all at once, and the mixture of emotion caused his stomach to turn. A brief span of silence crept over the two of them as they sat still in their chairs. The thought of returning to what was left of his home scared him. He had no intention of ever returning beforehand, but now… Now his own mother would have wanted this path for him. He wasn't sure if he could say no. Was it at all possible to deny something such as this? He had no answers for his own questions. Leaning back in his chair he peered up at Joffrey. "Where will I find that which I seek?"

"In the tattered remains of what you once called your personal home, you will find a secret entry in the floor. 'Tis a long forgotten path, though your mother, and her mother before kept it safe and secret. 'Tis your destiny to walk that very path, and to find out the truth."

Kasper nodded slowly, taking in the information. "And what truth will I find?"

"That is not for me to say… I am sorry."

Nodding once more Kasper stood from his seat while pocketing the key. Sorrow filled his gut as the thought of returning to Rorikstead entered his mind once more. He hated it entirely. But he knew, no matter what, if it truly was what he mother wanted of him, he would return.

"Joffrey… Did you know my mother?"

Joffrey nodded in reply. "She was a wonderful person… And she spoke quite highly of you… She was proud of you, I'd say."

Kasper's lips curled into a small smile as a mixture of emotions were brought forward, anger, sorrow and a strange hint of happiness. "Thank you, Joffrey… Truly. I will go to Rorikstead as soon as possible, you have my word."

"I'm most certainly glad to hear that, boy." Joffrey smirked. "Now, waste no more time on an old fool as I… Begin your journey, and find your path."

With that Kasper departed, a deep sense of determination building inside him. He was afraid still, and angry and saddened by the idea of returning, but nevertheless, he was determined to do so. If for nothing else, he would return there for his mother wished it so.


	4. Far Too Close

When Kasper arrived back at Adam's house, he found-much to his relief-Avery and Chase were already awake. Avery was clad in a set of dark clothes. Mostly deep browns and midnight blacks. While Chase was garbed in mixture of colors, Beige, Blue, Black and even trace amounts of White. Chase turned his head to the door, his brow raised from underneath his beige hood. "And where were you?" he asked.

Kasper stepped inside, closing the door behind him, allowing the warm embrace of Adam's home to wrap around him. "I was at the local Inn."

"And Inn? So while we were here, waiting in sheer boredom, you were out drinking mead and enjoying the morning?!" Avery paused from cleaning his rifle and spoke in a tone just below shouting.

"I wasn't there for drink!" Kasper retorted with a heavy sigh. "This morning, Adam gave me this," he held up the letter, "I was told to meet someone at the Inn, it sounded important, so I went."

Chase and Avery were both silent a moment, and then after a brief span of time Chase spoke up. "What did you learn?"

Kasper spent the next hour few minutes explaining in detail of what was said. A few things were but fuzzy memories in his mind, but for the most part his details were spot on. He continued through an entire recount of events and then when he was finished, all went silent. Chase nodded slowly, and Avery furrowed his brows.

"'Destiny'?" Avery quoted in a mocking tone. "Only a fool believes in destiny." he shook his head in disapproval.

"Although I don't believe it quite as foolish… 'Tis an awful vague thing to go on, wouldn't you say? That it's simply your 'Destiny'." Chase crossed his arms, staring down a moment, in a trance of deep thought. "Still though… It would be a rather odd coincidence if this… this 'Joffrey' would know of you, and your mother merely by chance."

Kasper nodded. "I know it's not much… I know it's vague, and I know it's rather foolish… But what else can we do?"

"I'll tell you what we can do!" Avery spoke up while checking over his rifle. "We can stay here a few more days and then head to another safe haven. Why should we risk our necks for something that may or may not be true?" he raised a brow in a high arch, staring back and forth between Chase, Adam and Kasper.

All was silent a moment, until finally Kasper spoke up. "Look… I know it could be false… I know I could be running towards nothing. But… if it is true… if it's what my… my mother, really wanted… Shouldn't we go?"

Silence invaded the small room once more, like a blanket it covered all until the only noise was that of Avery, running a cleaning brush over the barrel of his rifle. "I think, if what this Joffrey says you believe to be true, that you should go. Worst that happens, you waste a few days trip, and you end up back here, or continue to Dragon's Bridge. Or… Or you find what you're looking for." Adam spoke out unexpectedly from the silence.

Chase nodded. "I say we go forth. Going to Rorikstead may be of importance."

Avery let out a sigh and shook his head. "As much as I think this is a ridiculous venture… I'll follow you, and see you through to it's end." he nodded and leaned back against the wall, sliding his rifle into it's holster.

Adam took a step forward. "I would accompany you if I could… but I'm afraid that's something beyond me. Besides, I'm needed here. The Rebellion needs my forging abilities, and I'm more than happy to oblige." he said.

Kasper raised a brow. "When we knocked on your door, you seemed more than disgruntled by the guards… Yet now you say you're 'more than happy to oblige.'? Which one is it?" he smirked and let out a small chuckle.

Adam joined in on the chuckle and shook his head. "Well there's a particular pair of guards who are always bugging me. They want _this_, then they change their mind, and they want _that!_ It's enough to drive a man mad!" He exhaled heavily as he finished, shaking his head and running a hand over his forehead. "But! 'Tis what I am here for. I've even been appointed as ForgeMaster! Isn't that something? The guards here adress me as: 'Adam, ForgeMaster'! It's quite entertaining really." he smirked.

"Well, I'm glad that you're doing well here, Adam." Kasper nodded. "I'm surprised they'd let you be ForgeMaster, after all… you were responsible for the fish in the bucket." he snickered briefly.

"Oi! That was one time!" Adam stomped his foot and grinned, letting out a small burst of laughter. "It was… good to see you all again, truly it was. It pains me to see you all leave so soon. We haven't spoken in quite some time… But! Perhaps we'll meet again, eh?" he raised a brow.

"I do hope so, friend. It would be nice to return to somewhere like… home." Kasper smiled as the words left him. Having a home again seemed somewhat fanciful, but nevertheless it's all he seemed to really want anymore. A home. "Now… Lets get moving. We're wasting daylight." he turned to Chase and Avery who nodded in response.

Adam gave them some food supplies, along with a few other various essentials, and even supplied Avery with some ammunition for his rifle. It was more than enough to get them to where once Rorikstead was, and farther still. After another exchange of goodbyes they left, making their way in the direction of Rorikstead. Kasper found it strange. It was only the day previous when they entered Riverwood, and now, already they were leaving again. He found it a hard thing to bear, but the tedious repetition of his, and his companions' footsteps kept his mind occupied for the most part.

The sun was slowly setting over the mountainous peaks as they set up camp. Kasper was displeased with the progress, they'd only just made it past Lake Ilinalta by nightfall, and the more time it took to get to Rorikstead, the more troubling the thought became. He was becoming unsure as to if he could really go there. Could he? He had no answers as was expected, but he could not help but asking himself over and over: _Can I go back home? _

It didn't take them too long to get organized. Kasper went and found wood for their fire, and Avery unpacked their bedrolls as Chase prepared a meal for the three of them. In silence they worked, and in silence they ate. It wasn't as large a meal as they could have hoped, but saving their provisions was more important than gorging themselves.

The moon once again covered the landscape in a mysterious glow, giving it an almost otherworldly appearance. Stars speckled the sky in an array of twinkling lights, and a multitude of different colors streamed across the black void, giving it a mystical allure.

They didn't talk that night, for there was nothing more to discuss. They knew where they were going, and there was not much beyond that which needed speaking of. And since they had already talked quite a bit before leaving Adam's house, there was no reason to continue doing so now.

Kasper laid down on his bedroll, as did Avery and Chase, and they all drifted into a deep sleep. Kasper's night was anything but peaceful, once again twisted memories haunted his dreams, and fire wreathed everything in sight.

As morning came, Kasper sat upright to find both Avery and Chase already awake, cooking a breakfast and making light conversation. Kasper rubbed his eyes. His sleep was anything but rejuvenating, and he almost felt even more so tired then the night previous. With a groan he leaned forward, sitting in front of the fire and warming up his cold hands with the flickering flames. The air was a dull grey, and it was darker than normal. But, nevertheless it was morning.

They ate their food in quiet once more when a strange noise emitted from the west which made Kasper's spine tingle.

"... What was that?" Avery asked in a curious but hushed tone.

"I… I can't be certain, but I think we should get moving." Chase said, slowly standing up and putting their fire out.

Neither Kasper, nor Avery argued, and instead they simply wrapped up their bedrolls and tied them securely shut. Once again, the strange sound came from the west, bellowing towards them. Something about it struck Kasper as familiar, but no matter how hard he focused, or tried to remember, he couldn't seem to identify the sound. Instead of waiting, the three of them quickly departed and made their way down the stone path, their boots clicking in unison on the hard, smooth stones below them as they marched at a brisk pace. The noise struck a third time, and it almost seemed louder than before. Panic was beginning to spring forth from the three of them as they all attempted to put meaning to the noise, every idea to no avail. Then again, the noise. And once more. The three of them broke into a jog, what armor they had strapped on rustling as they moved quickly, meanwhile the noise continued to grow in it's volume, until it seemed so close you could touch it.

Without a moments notice, from the greying clouds above darted a large, winged creature. A long tail streamed behind it, wavering in the heavy winds above as it soared in a circular motion. It hadn't seemed to notice them yet, but they wasted no time in finding out. With a quick motion, the trio jumped into a large mass of bushes. The dense leaves kept them almost invisible unless one were to get close.

It was good thinking too, for while they sat silently, the large creature descended upon their old campground, crushing what was left of the burnt logs underneath it's massive clawed foot.

_A dragon! _Kasper shouted from within the confines of his mind. A mass of emotions flooded his conscious, anger, sorrow, confusion, fear. All at once they clouded his mind as he stared.

The large brown scaled dragon's muscles flexed as it wrenched it's long neck from side to side, scanning the area with a piercing gaze. It snorted, the hot breath from it's nostrils visible as a puff of smoke in the cold temperature. It's tail whipped to the right breaking a small tree in half and showering the ground with jagged spikes of mangled wood. It let loose a small jet of flame that blackened the ground it touched as it snapped furiously. It was obviously onto their scent, and that alone was a terrifying thought.

It scanned a few moments longer, at one point it even passed it's large jaw over the bush they hid in, but luckily they managed to avoid detection. A few minutes, of which seemed like an eternity, passed by and the dragon took off again, lighter pieces of wood and small rocks rolling and tumbling around as it brought it's massive wingspan downward, propelling itself into the sky and out of all sight.

They waited a few more minutes after the dragon's departure to step out of the bush. A few moments of pulling twigs from their hair and clothes passed before any of them spoke. Avery leaned forward on his knees with a sigh of relief.

"That… Was far too close." he said and shook his head.

Kasper laughed a moment, the pent up anxiety of the massive creature coming forward in his sudden guffaw. He leaned his back against the tree, still chuckling in a giddy tone as he slid down into a sitting position.

Chase stared at where the creature had breathed it's flame and examined it a moment. "By the Nine… That… Thing was incredibly powerful!"

"That 'Thing'... was a dragon." Kasper said, waking himself from his fear-drunken stupor.

"I've only ever heard stories…So that's what they're like…" Avery said, staring up at the skies, keeping a keen watch on every cloud within sight.

"Quite magnificent… in a terrible way." Chase said, running his fingers across the blackened patch of earth, picking up soot on his bare skin.

"Come on. Lets keep moving. I don't want to end up like a pile of ash." Avery said with a shudder as he hoisted his rifle back over his shoulder and started walking along the path.

"Wait!" called Kasper, and Avery and Chase both stopped to look at him. "We can't very well continue along this road… Not with that bloody thing watching us… No…" Kasper squinted, looking off eastward and pointing. "See that forest? It's dense… we can travel straight through that to Rorikstead. I doubt that dragon could get us in there." Slowly all three of them nodded and agreed.

"Then it's settled! Lets head for the woods." Chase nodded, standing up straight and wiping the soot off on his right bracer.


	5. Held Captive

Within a few hours, the trio had reached the eastern forest, entering into the dense woods carefully.

Kasper was mildly concerned, it was a strange and forgotten place. He'd never heard of such a forest in these parts, and he knew not what lurked within. They proceeded with utmost caution, but even in this alien place, it seemed much safer then out where a dragon might spot then.

Twigs cracked under every step they took, and slowly they made progress through the thick greenery.

Day was slowly lowering over the hills as the sun left the sky and began being replaced by the moon and stars that twinkled brilliantly overhead, even through the thick leaves above their shining brilliance could be seen.

Kasper came to a stop just as the forest was becoming too dark. "We should set up camp… We can't very well travel if we cannot even see the ground." he placed his pack on the ground with a thump as it trampled leaves below.

Avery peered around a moment, gazing at the high trees that loomed above them with a furrowed expression. "This is a strange place… I didn't know there even _was _any forests here."

"Originally, no there wasn't… But I suppose time has taken it's toll on not just the people, but the land as well." Chase shrugged, pulling together some leaves and wood for a fire. Clenching his fist, a flicker of flame appeared from within his tightened palm, and he carefully lowered the flame to the leaves below the wood, igniting them in a golden spark. "There… That 'ought to do it."

Avery squinted at the fire with an uneasy expression. "Magic is… strange, I don't care for it much."

Chase smirked, leaning forward to the flames. "You only say that because it's something you _can't _do." he said, warming his hands on the flickering tongues of fire. "Would you prefer I not give us a warm fire to sit by?" he raised a brow.

"Bah! I do not wish that. You know I don't." Avery replied, slumping down in front of the fire, basking in it's warm embrace. "The only reason I haven't learnt it is because I've got better skills to learn!" he smirked.

"What? You mean that… bizarre contraption of yours?" Kasper gestured with his chin to the rifle that lay at Avery's side. The dazzling weapon of ebony shimmered as the flames reflected off it.

"'Tis a rifle! You should know this by now. They're not that new to Skyrim." Avery shook his head.

"Whatever it's called," Chase spoke up, a smirk still strewn on his face, "It's odd."

Avery smiled. "Well that may be… But it's not as strange as playing with fire, as you do."

They laughed a moment. The comment caught all three of them, even Avery who had said it, offguard. They sat a moment in silence, cooking and eating some of their food as they glanced around curiously.

"This place is rather unnerving." Chase shuddered lightly.

Kasper nodded in agreeance. He wasn't particularly fond of the dimly lit forest. It seemed unnatural, and the very trees loomed over them, as if gawking with invisible eyes. Crossing his arms tightly around his chest, Kasper shuffled closer to the fire.

"Hopefully we can be rid of this place by night tomorrow." he sighed.

Avery looked around, his hand placed on the handle of his rifle, not daring to lose sight of the weapon, as if fearful that the very forest might swallow it whole. He gulped. "Maybe we should alternate watches through the night… this is an unfriendly place, I'm sure of it." he said, to which both Kasper and Chase both agreed in quick succession.

Avery stood guard first, and Chase and Kasper both attempted to get some rest.

To Kasper's surprise, he fell into a deep sleep, his dreams felt like a dull grey, and sometimes they teetered on the brink of nightmares, but never seemed to drift past that point.

The night pressed on, and soon came morning. Streams of light peeked through the thick trees above, dotting certain parts of the dense woods with light from above. Kasper sat upright, rubbing his eyes as he noticed it was morning. _Why didn't Avery wake us? _he thought, looking around, and to his dismay he found neither Avery or Chase. Startled he jumped to his feet, looking around frantically. There wasn't a single trace of them even being there, nor a trail to follow. Worry gripped him, and he felt a lump of fear in his throat as he peered around. He decided to call out their names, hoping for a single response that he might follow, which he most obviously received no response.

Tossing his pack over his shoulder, Kasper stood up straight, his breathing a bit unsteady as he started walking. None of their belongings were here, save for his own pack and sword. He marched, winding between the trees as he picked up speed, occasionally calling out to his missing companions. _Perhaps they simply left me here… No! Don't be so foolish! They wouldn't abandon me… They wouldn't… _Fear and doubt began clouding his mind as he wandered, seemingly aimlessly through the neverending trees so dark and looming above him.

A few hours had passed, and he'd almost given up hope when a shout boomed forward, faint within a brush of trees. Kasper ducked down low, using the thick leaves and shrubbery to his advantage, hiding within their confines remaining hidden. Peering through the leaves he caught sight of a man garbed in leather armor, a sword held at his side. Kasper followed to where the mans' gaze was pointed with his own, and at the end of the invisible trail he spotted his friends, tied together at their backs with gags of linen between their clenched teeth. A set of a dozen bandits-for bandits they were-surrounded the area. Some directly focused on the tied two, others scanning the area.

Kasper was beginning to notice a pattern in their movements. The bulbous headed man, whose cap was too tiny for his shimmering forehead, circled around the left flank, but just when he was out of eyesight from the rest of the group, he seemed to stop there, as if to end his cycle. The other man, a gaunt almost ill looking fellow circled opposite to that of the bulbous headed man, and covered the right flank. Their patterns were almost identical, however the gaunt man seemed less alert, and seemed to spend his time staring at the ground, muttering to himself.

Gathering his courage, Kasper sheathed his sword and grasped onto the tree in front of him, climbing up it's massive girth slowly, branch by branch. It's surface was slippery, and every now and then the Bandit Captain would shout something indistinct and throw Kasper off balance, causing his foot to slip on the oily exterior of the tree. Eventually Kasper reached a sturdy branch some twenty-feet high, of which he perched on, careful to balance for it was just as slippery. He cautiously continued along the length of the branch, and with a moments hesitation sprang to a branch opposite to him.

His heart was pounding within his chest, and the inside of his black leather gauntlets were lined with sweat from his shaking palms. He continued the same jumping motion from branch to branch, careful to make the least amount of noise as possible until finally he rested just above the encampment of bandits; Chase glanced upwards towards Kasper, but if he had noticed him, he hadn't shown any sign of it.

"_Where the bloody hell is it!? Tell me, or I'll gut you like fish!" _The Captain shouted forward, spittle flying from his lips as he pointed his sword towards the tied duo.

They made muffled sounds from beneath the cloth in their mouth, but other then that, they remained silent.

The captain made a swift slice with his cutlass, slicing through the cloth that bound their mouths with such precision Kasper had found himself somewhat awed.

"I'll ask again," The Captain leaned forward, his words like a barking dog, "Where is it?!"

"_Where is what?!" _Chase shouted back, his voice somewhat clouded by a sense of despair.

"_The map! Tell me where the map is you swine!" _

"_By the gods man, We haven't a clue of what you speak!" _Avery retorted with furrowed brows.

The argument between them continued, sourly at that. Kasper feared that if it came to an end, it would not at all be a pleasant one. Without haste, he continued along the branched until he stood perched above the bulbous man, whom had just stopped. Taking a brief moment to look around for anyone who might see, Kasper jumped down up the man, driving a dagger into the target-like dome. Blood spurted outwards, and a muffled yelp came from the man's' throat as his face buried in the ground. Kasper removed his dagger, wiping a splatter of blood from his face with a quick swipe from his sleeve. Standing up, he dragged the body into a tall dark bush, hiding it their so no one might accidentally be alerted. Continuing with much stealth, he moved towards the gaunt man; bellows from the Captain sprung forward as he continued his heated questions.

With a quick, silent jolt Kasper managed to catch the man off-guard and plunge his dagger into the man's thin throat, covering his mouth and lowering him to the ground; the man gagged on his blood before silence ensued.

Kasper was most certainly confident that if he could free both Chase, and Avery, they could take the remainder of the guards. Hopping up onto the tree next to him, Kasper once again climbed to the perch above the Captain, and once more he gathered his courage before plunging downward, cutting off the Captain's sentence with a dagger of steel plunged into the back of the man's neck. Leaving the stuck dagger, he quickly drew his sword; Shouts of alarm roused throughout the opening of the forest as the other bandits moved in.

With a quick motion he sliced through Chase and Avery's bonds and they both sprang up to their feet. They were unarmed, but were just as confident as Kasper that they could handle the remaining forces.

"Took you bloody long enough!" Avery said, shifting his gaze between three Bandits who approached.

"Not my fault you both up and disappeared!" Kasper said while parrying a sword and slashing the bandit before him from shoulder to hip, "What the hell happened? What map was he talking about?!"

"Can it wait?! We're kind of preoccupied!" Chase shouted, dodging a stab from a bandit and grabbing onto said bandit's hands, wrenching the sword from his grip and using it to stab him.

Kasper, Chase and Avery attacked and defended from the Bandits, deflecting, parrying, stabbing, slashing and at one point shooting. It was a brutal onslaught that left their limbs weary from strain and cloths and faces covered in a sheet of blood. Chase and Avery both retrieved their gear from the bandits' stock, and took some supplies of their own from what the bandits had no doubt plundered from travelers past. The notion made Kasper feel somewhat sick. He wondered what might have happened to such unfortunate people.

"So what was all that about?" Kasper said, wiping his forehead clean of blood, "What was with all the talk of some map?"

Chase sighed and crouched, balancing on the balls of his feet as he stared at the ground. "Look… About a month or so, before you and Avery showed up… I had taken… well, I had taken something I shouldn't have." He cleared his throat and ran his fingers gently over the dry dirt at his boots.

"'Something'?" Kasper raised a brow, "You're going to have to explain better than that."

A sigh once again escaped Chase's lips. "There were these, erm… respectable chaps, with a big ship. Well, they had something of worth-"

"_You stole from pirates?!" _Avery exclaimed as he jumped upright, _"Is that why they grabbed us in the night?!"_

"-As I was saying! I didn't steal something of… profit. You understand? Here…" Chase tugged off his left gauntlet to reveal a strange bracer strapped tightly to his wrist, it seemed to be without a seam, "This… Well, it's a relatively new-and quite rare I might add- device called an "Augment""

Kasper stared upon the bracer. It was made from a strange onyx metal, ebony he assumed. Veins of bright blue shot through it, and they gave off a misty glow. "So… What does an Augment do exactly?" he said while crossing his arms.

"Well… There are supposedly different Augments for different things. This one, however, Augments a users magical capabilities… however… it's, as I've learned… rather unstable…"

"Unstable? How so?" Avery squinted, stroking his chin with a thumb and forefinger.

"Well, as you can see it's attached to my skin. An Augment is for life. But I've found that this particular Augment is… dangerous. While it does power my abilities… without proper control, I'm afraid I could potentially destroy anything within a mile radius if I don't use the utmost caution. I think you can see the problem. Well anyways… these idiots," Chase gestured with his chin to the dead bandits-or pirates as it would seem. "They had this thing in their possession. When I heard that a pirate Captain was potentially going to have the power to cause that kind of devastation, I had to take action… So I snuck aboard their ship and stole it in the night while they were all piss drunk." he smirked as he spoke, seemingly proud of the feat, and rightly so Kasper thought.

Kasper smiled slightly. "How come when we don't stick together, we all get in trouble?"

"It would seem when we're together we get in trouble anyway." Chase gestured to the bodies once more.

"I have a question!" Avery raised his hand and then gestured to the bodies as well, "That's all well and dandy that you and these… charming fellows have such history… However that doesn't explain why they attacked me and took me with you!" his brows furrowed.

Chase let out a small laugh and smirked once more. "I don't know. Do you think, perhaps, it's because you attempted to take them on bare handed, and broke one of their arms? Cause I feel like that just might make you an enemy, no?"

Avery shook his head with a grunt.

"So… Is that over then? They're all dead… so you're off the hook, right?" Kasper asked.

Chase sighed a third time. "I'm afraid that's a no… The men we killed here weren't who I stole from, at least not exactly. Unfortunately, the bastard who had taken this thing-," Chase tapped his right forefinger against the Augment, "-remains alive. I wasn't able to kill him before I was spotted by his crew. Luckily I escaped with my life, and with the Augment… Though it's quite obvious now that he's not giving up on this device… pity, I was hoping to avoid this… at least for a time." Chase shook his head and used his thumb and forefinger to rub the bridge of his nose. "But! There's no point in worrying over that now, for we've dealt with these buffoons, and without more than a few scratches! Lets just continue and get to Rorikstead, alright?"

Kasper nodded and wiped the rest of the blood that caked on his face. The three of them continued through the forest, retrieving all of their equipment. They pressed forward, wishing nothing more than to leave this place behind. Night began to fall upon the trees slowly, and as much as they would have liked nothing more than have left already, they were forced to spend just one more night within the confines of the forest.


	6. A Fight In Fort Ferival

As the sun rose the next morning, they had found themselves at the very edge of the forest, sitting back just far enough to remain shrouded in the thick green of the trees, staring out at the stone-paved-road with uncertainty.

"What if that dragon is still out there? Then what?" Avery asked as he leaned forward against a stump.

"Then we deal with it…" Kasper furrowed his brows.

"'Deal with it'?" Chase reiterated with a questioning gaze, "Not trying to downplay you all, myself included but… Last I checked we hid in a bush when first we spotted it."

"Or rather 'It spotted us'... " Avery retorted quietly.

"Look! We've come this far! We can't very well turn back, not when we're this close… Besides, there's a stronghold just before Rorikstead. We can at least make it there and figure things out." Kasper said in a hushed tone, keeping his palm on the sword strung to his belt.

"A stronghold? I've never heard of one out here… save for Dragon's Bridge, but that's quite a ways from here." Avery stared at him with a confused, yet intrigued expression.

Kasper nodded in reply. "There's a stronghold just before Rorikstead, as I said. 'Fort Ferival' if these maps Adam gave us are correct."

The stayed there a moment in silence, staring out at the road with fearful gazes'. If there was a dragon still lurking about, and it was still after them, Kasper wasn't so sure they might handle such a beast. What seemed like moments they sat there, but as the sun had shifted in the sky, Kasper noticed they had been there for a few hours at least. Furrow his brows he reluctantly moved forward, each step felt like walking on a thin plank upon the peak of a mountain. We he stepped out onto the stone road, his heart skipped a beat, and he could feel his breath quicken. A few minutes passed after he stepped into the open, and both Avery and Chase followed him out. It seemed as if the coast was to their delightful surprise, safe. Kasper let out a nervous laugh and grinned. "Bloody hell… That was terrifying." he said and placed a palm over his forehead and proceeded to run his fingers throughout his dark brown hair.

"You got that right… Lets not waste any time celebrating, cause that blasted lizard might be upon us anytime." Avery said and slung his rifle over his shoulder and began hiking forward along the stone path.

In the distance, Fort Ferival was slowly coming into view. A peculiarly square wall of stone appeared over the path, and at the back was a tower, topped with a flag of purple and white. An insignia centered itself on the flag; the image of a dragon with a sword downward thrusted into it's skull. _Resistence… _Kasper thought to himself. Resistance flags weren't an uncommon thing, but Kasper hadn't expected them here of all places. They usually weren't much trouble, but they weren't ones to be particularly trusting of travelers.

Just barely, Kasper could make out the oaken roofs of homes and various buildings within the confines of Fort Ferival. It was somehow a comforting sight.

It took another half hour to arrive at the gate, and a set of four guards approached them, two in front with halberds, and two behind them with rifles. They pointed their weapons at the trio. Kasper stared at their helmets, for their faces were covered entirely, and watched them closely, trying to think of what to say. One wrong word, one wrong move even, and they'd either be dead or not permitted entrance to the Fort.

"State your business with Fort Ferival, or the embrace of death ye' shall meet." The first halberd carrying man on the left shouted, his voice was more shaken and fearful then Kasper had assumed it would be; it was just then Kasper noticed the same Resistence insignia upon the guards' tabards.

"We come seeking refuge. We only mean to spend a day or so at the tavern here. We promise to comply to your laws, and we shant cause any problems with our stay." Kasper said, inclining his head and bowing slightly.

"And how do we know you be not vile betrayers? How can we be certain of your words? From where do you boys hail!" The second halberd guard questioned.

"From Riverwood, I do hail." Avery raised a hand and bowed.

"And I from Winterhold." Chase did a similar motion.

The two guards in front seemed to nod slightly and then queried Kasper, "And what of you, boy? Where do you hail from?"

A lump of sorrow grew in Kasper's throat. _From nowhere… not anymore _he thought sullenly. "I… I hailed from Rorikstead." he said clearing his throat.

The four guards seemed to loosen their grip at hearing the name. They weren't as tense as before, and almost seemed to take on a strange sympathetic aura. "Oh… I see… Very well. Entrance to Fort Ferival is granted to you, and your party. See to it you keep your word and cause not a scrap of trouble, eh?" the guard on the left said and stood straight, planting the butt of his halberd in the ground. With a call from the guards below, the men working the gate turned the large gears, opening the double-doored entranceway to Fort Ferival.

A strange and unexpected warmth flooded out from the gates, as if it weren't just a wall, but a vast building, but as far as Kasper could tell, there was no roof above. The trio continued through the gates and entered in to the Fort. It wasn't at all like Riverwood, or how Rorikstead had been. It was much more militarized, with large barracks within the confines of the walls. The residential area was quite miniscule in comparison to the vast amounts of barracks and smiths with their forges. This wasn't a home, it was-as the name would suggest-a place for war.

Within the center of the fort was a large and desolate courtyard, home to only a single stonework monument of some warrior Kasper knew not the name of. It wasn't until he approached the plaque of iron in front of the ivory figure that he noticed the name: _A monument of ivory, for our once proud and strong hero of old. Let ye who gaze upon this remember the man who fought for liberty. Out great leader of times forgotten, Captain Ferival, leader of the 14th clan. He who saved this fort from damnation, and he who tore the wings from the winged giants of the sky. _

Kasper took a step back to admire the stonework figure who loomed above the plaque. He was, from what Kasper could tell, a tall bearded chap. He wore a long flowing cape with a strange outlandish insignia upon it. A tabard upon his shoulders that flowed down over his chestguard. He was covered in plate armor from the neck down, and in his right hand he held tight a two handed hammer, which was as Kasper took note of, an intimidating weapon.

_So you were once Ferival… _He thought letting of a smile before turning away.

They continued for a time until finally, after what felt like hours they found a tavern. It was a well structured building of sprucewood, and at the front wall of the tall structure was a thick door, a mixture of iron and wood. Pushing the heavy doors inward they headed inside. The thick scent of berry-ale mixed with fresh bread filled the air around them, and Kasper felt his shoulders slump, as if a great weight had be relieved from them. It was warm, and he could tell that both Chase and Avery were both feeling likewise appreciative for the comfortable environment. Talking briefly with the innkeeper, they rented three rooms for the night and promptly went to their separate quarters.

Kasper entered into his own room, using a match he lit a candle that lay idle on the dressing cabinet. It's flickering glow illuminating the room in a faint hue of orange. He sat upon the cot on the far right and his attention fixated on the window, peering out into the looming darkness. He couldn't see the sky above, or the moon, for all around the tavern were equally-if not taller-buildings. A sigh escaped his throat.

Removing his gauntlets and linen shirt, along with the jerkin overtop, he lay on the cot bare chested, staring up at the wooden roof as an uncertain feeling gripped at him. They were so close to their destination, and the thought of what he might find hung in his mind endlessly, like a great shadow etching across the forest floor.

For a long while Kasper lay there, motionless but not asleep. Staring at the ceiling without sound. No matter how hard he tried, he didn't feel tired, nor did he want to sleep, for even though it was what he wanted, he was afraid of what lay ahead on their path. It took a few hours, but finally exhaustion took over, and he drifted into a dreamless slumber, grey and dull.

Kasper sprang awake to the sound of clamor. His heart was racing already, even as his eyes met the ceiling. Gazing around the room frantically, he focused on the window, and just as he did a jet of orange light flashed by, the heat of which even he could feel from within the inn.

Wasting no time, Kasper sprung from the cot tossing on his clothes and gauntlets while grabbing his sword. He pulled his hood up with both hands and darted out the door. To his surprise the inn was completely empty, even his friends seemed to be missing. Ignoring the speculation he rushed out into the street immediately hugging flat against the wall as another jet of orange slashed it's way down the street. The heat off the stream of flame-for flame it was-was immense, and Kasper found himself shielding his face as the heat threatened to burn his open skin. Running down the hot street at as fast a pace he could, he found his friends along the way, and the three of them continued into the courtyard.

"What's going on?!" Kasper asked, his tone on the verge of shouting.

"_Dragon! Get down!" _a guard shouted from someplace high.

Immediately afterward the figure broke through the clouds, spewing copious amounts of flames upon the watchtowers of stone, wreathing them in brilliant varieties of orange. As the flames settled into place, a loud bellow emitted from the tower, and Kasper knew the guard was no more. Readying their weapons, the three of them stood near the center of the courtyard, eyes shifting from place to place in the skies above. Without any warning the large winged creature dove downward to the courtyard, wings folded close to it's muscled body. The trio scattered to different corners of the courtyard as it neared, and at the last second the creature spread it's massive wingspan, flapping downward twice to slow it's fall as if not to wound itself. It's hind leg kicked through the ivory statue, cracking the chest of the figure and sending the head skipping across the paved stone below.

The dragon bellowed a mighty roar, sending a vibration through the ground as it did. Kasper shuddered with fear, he never thought in all his life would he face a dragon, but now it would seem inevitable. Charging forward with his sword, Kasper meant to go from the creatures thick throat. It seemed a good plan until the dragon's neck arched and a thick stream of fire flowed from it's maw as it's thick head lurched forward. There was no time to dodge, and fear tightened Kasper's throat as he stared at what might be his last sight. Just as the fire was an inch from connecting Chase sprang forward with a magical barrier raised, redirecting the fire on either side.

"_I can't hold this forever!" _Chase shouted with a grunt.

With his left forefinger Kasper pointed towards what was once the chest of the Ferival statue. It's ivory only cracked, but for the most part intact. _"Chase! Lets make for Ferival's chest!" he shouted in reply._

Chase nodded and slammed the barrier forward, hitting into the dragon's snout and causing it to flinch, cutting off the flow of fire. Chase grabbed onto the collar of Kasper's shirt and dragged him onto his feet, and together they sprinted for the chest. As they slid behind it, the thick fire once again started, wreathing around the chest of Ferival and just barely missing the two of them. _Where is Avery?! _Kasper searched with his gaze as best he could, but the flames around them were far too thick. The air grew heavy with smoke, and the heat was so intense the chest had turned a searing-hot-white. Deep cracks began to shoot throughout the chest, and Kasper wondered how much longer it would last, for the torrent of flame seemed to be without end.

Just as Kasper's hopes were beginning to dull, a piercing boom filled the air around the as well as a roar of pain. The thick flames stopped and skidded along the ground. Peeking up over the chest, careful not to get burnt, Kasper saw Avery standing in the courtyard opposite to the dragon with his rifle gripped tightly in hand. The dragon bellowed in words that no one there seemed to understand, but from the tone Kasper could assume it wasn't friendly.

Without a moments hesitation the dragon lunged it's head forward as if to bite at Avery, but he was too agile and dodged out of the way just in time. Kasper sprang over the chest and ran towards the dragon's hind leg, creating a deep gash that tore through the muscles beneath the skin. Blood spilled out from the open wound, dripping down the creatures ridged leg, yet the creature merely slashed his wing towards Kasper, who just barely managed to dodge it in time.

Chase captured the creatures attention as ice flung from his palms and slashed against the dragon's elongated snout. This gave Kasper just enough time to jump up onto the dragon's hind leg, and from there toss himself onto it's back. The scales were sharper than first sight of the creature had suggested, and they cut a few slash marks at the knees of his trousers. The dragon was quite evidently furious. The muscles beneath it's skin tensed, and it lashed around wildly. Kasper was only able to hang on by slipping his fingers underneath it's thick scales. Twice he almost lost grip of his sword, and if that happened, he wasn't quite sure what he'd do from his current whereabouts.

Occasionally a shot was fired from Avery's rifle, and Chase would distract the creature's attention with slashes from his ice spells, but no matter what the dragon's anger turned back to Kasper, who slowly began to move up the creature's ever shifting back. At first it was completely alien to him, he had no idea how to continue. It was like entering a maze blindfolded, and he began to doubt his impulsive plan entirely. Ignoring the thoughts he clambered up the dragon's back and, sitting up straight on the hard scales he drove his sword downward. To his dismay the blade refused to cut through the scales, and for a time all seemed lost. The dragon arched it's back in an attempt to throw Kasper off, but once more he clung to the thick scales. His gaze picked something up as he stared, just under the scales he noticed the creatures more soft skin, much like that on it's legs. With force, Kasper lifted one of the scales upward and slid his sword underneath, and with a heavy thrust he pierced the dragon's hide. The creature bellowed, thrashing angrily around as he kept his sword in place, twisting and turning it. After a moment the creature took a few uneasy steps forward, stumbling around before roaring weakly once more and falling to the ground limply.

Kasper stared at the scales blankly, hot blood pouring around his gauntlet which was still tightly gripped on the handle of his sword. He didn't move for a while, even when he heard both Chase and Avery approach. The dragon was dead, it was really dead, and he and his friends were the ones to put it down. He was amazed, and shocked, and knew that without Chase and Avery both, there was no feasible way he could have accomplished such a feat. His hands and legs trembled as he slowly jimmeyed the sword free from within the creature's flesh; the iron blade was covered in a thick sheet of crimson, which shimmered under the morning sun.

Climbing down off of the large beast's body slowly, Kasper stumbled as he walked. Not from injury, but rather from sheer shock as they circled the creature once. It was quite an imposing foe, and even in death the creatures scales shimmered under the golden rays from above. He almost admired it, if it hadn't just tried to kill him.

Walking to the front of the creatures corpse, Avery leaned his arm against it's long fearsome head with a grin. "A dragon! We took down a bloody dragon! Hah! Just us!" he bellowed triumphantly.

"I simply can't believe it…" Chase said, crouching down and balancing on the balls of his feet, staring at the dragon's closed eye.

Kasper laughed sheepishly, letting his blood-coated sword hang at his side. They stood there a moment, staring with awe at the dragon. Something seemed to Catch Chase's eye, but Kasper shrugged it off as nothing until he shouted out: "Get back!"

Chase sprang backwards as did Kasper. Avery turned and stared up at the dragon as it opened its maw and arched it's neck, preparing to lunge down onto Avery and swallow him whole. Panicking, Kasper darted forward, slamming into Avery and pushing him out of harms way. The dragon's massive mouth came down upon Kasper just as he raised his sword up, and for a moment all went silent.

Darkness fell all around Kasper, and he wondered if perhaps he'd been killed. The thought left him as a surge of pain ran through the left side of his face. It felt red-hot, and as if the whole one side of his face were becoming numb. He could feel blood trickling down over his gauntlet and his arm as well. As much as he might try, the sword was lodged far too deep into the dragon's skull to budge, so he let go of it and stood in the cramped space of the dragon's maw. _How the hell do I get out of here?! _His thoughts were frantic.

In front of him, he could feel the dragon's tongue against his palms, and the thought of what he was touching thoroughly disgusted him. Turning around to face the roof the the creatures mouth, he attempted to pry open the jaws, but to no avail, they seemed to be lodged in something, much like his sword. Calling out, he hoped to reach his friends. "Hey?! Help!" he called.

"Kasper?! You're bloody alive! By the nine!" Avery's muffled tone breached through the dragon's skull.

"Yes! I'm alive! And I'm also inside a dragon's mouth! Get me out of here!"

Suddenly the dragon's jaws jerked open, and Kasper almost feared the beast might still be alive, but to his evident relief he saw both Chase and Avery on the other side. Chase's hands were parted and raised, and Kasper could tell that he was using a spell to open the creature's jaws. Without any hesitation Kasper leapt forward from the confines of the dragon's maw and into the sunlight. For a moment it was hard to see, but slowly his eyes adjusted as he stared down at the stone-paved ground of the courtyard. He felt a hand clasp on his shoulder and it made him jump. He turned to his friends, and Chase and Avery both stared at him with a worried expression.

"Your face!" Avery exclaimed, turning back towards Chase. "Can you do anything about the bleeding?!"

"B-Bleeding, w-what bleeding-?"

"Stay still, and quiet!" Chase cut Kasper off, raising his open palms over the left half of Kasper's face, beginning to stream a spell.

A strange feeling overcame him as it took effect, a weakness he hadn't felt prior. His palms shook and sweat built upon them from within his gauntlets, and soon his vision pulsed, and he fell into a void of black, no sound or sight was in this place, it felt empty.


End file.
